Sublime pears

When it comes to fall fruit, I am decidedly more of a pear girl than an apple. Crisp ripe apples are abundant and accessible for the grab-and-go; an easy yummy snack or pie ingredient that requires no special handling nor over thinking. While the shapely pear is an illustration of simple elegance and intricacy of flavor that takes a bit of slowing down to appreciate.Pears hang around for a good chunk of time. In the early days of fall we start to see the European varieties which get picked firm so as not to bruise their fragile skins and then ripen deep into the winter. Velvety textured, buttery sweet, floral and musky, pears also have a good balance of acidity. Ripe pears are delicately skinned juice bombs and therefore should be handled and bitten into carefully. There is a perfect moment to eat a pear out of hand, so storing them in a brown bag at room temperature and waiting to see when the flesh gives slightly upon gentle pressure is worth the effort.Asian varieties are crisp, juicy and sweet yet milder in flavor and more crunchy in texture than their European counterparts. They do very well in salads. Some people balk at eating the skin, which ranges from pleasantly mild to rough in texture, depending upon the variety. It can be easily peeled with a sharp paring knife.

The recipes below show off the flavor, texture, and shapeliness of my favorite fall fruit. As a quick but out of the ordinary appetizer, try serving wedges of raw pears with blue cheese and arugula wrapped in proscuitto. Concords (good for just about any application) work best for this as they hold their shape well after cutting and don’t brown as quickly.

Egg-shaped Anjous are most versatile since they are as great raw as they are baked, poached and roasted. Last Monday night Eric Guilford, sous chef at The Med, started a farm dinner fundraiser at Lone Hawk Farms with his poached pear soup. It revealed all of the sweet buttery goodness of an Anjou and was nothing short of exquisite: the essence of autumn in a bowl.

In recipes for wine poached pears I would suggest using Bosc, since they keep their elegant elongated shape when cooked and their bold musky flavor stays strong after being poached in wine. You can also use more readily found Anjou pears, whose firm flesh also stands up to poaching. For wonderful instructions on poaching pears, Google “how to poach pears David Lebovitz.”

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Bartletts prefer to be canned, pureed or baked as their juicy soft flesh falls apart easily. However, smoother and sweeter Red Bartletts are great eaten out of hand as well as preserved or canned. Saveur Magazine has a beautifully photographed and succinct breakdown of pear varieties and how they are best enjoyed. From Saveur (Google: “Saveur pear guide”): “Lusciously textured and earthy in flavor, mellow Comice pears make exceptional desserts, and pair well with cheese. Try the sweet pear served raw, or poached in Chestnut Honey Pears.”

Pinch of nutmegHandful of kale leaves, washed and dried, baked in olive oil and sea saltOn a medium heat, sauté fruit and vegetables in grapeseed oil until cooked through. Deglaze pan with sherry wine, add stock, bring to a boil, then simmer gently for a few minutes.

Blend soup and then strain through a fine sieve. Stir in Parmesan cheese and cream. Drizzle with honey and serve garnished with baked kale chips.

Source: Eric Guilford, sous chef at The Med

PEARS WITH BLUE CHEESE AND PROSCIUTTO

Serves 8

2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett), each cut into 8 wedges

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 cup arugula

3 ounces blue cheese, cut into small pieces

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

In a large bowl, toss the pears and lemon juice.

Layer a slice of pear, an arugula leaf, and a piece of cheese on a piece of prosciutto and roll up.

In a large saucepan, heat the wine, water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish.

Slide in the pears and cover with a round of parchment paper, with a small hole cut in the center. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the firmness of the pears.

Remove from heat with a slotted spoon and set them on a plate in a single layer. Reduce the cooking liquid by boiling until slightly syrupy; let cool.

Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out rounds about 5 inches across). Place these on a lightly floured baking-sheet. Make cuts from the top of each pear, fan them out, separating the slices a little. Carefully place a pear half in the center of each circle of pastry. Brush the rims with melted butter and sprinkle them with granulated sugar.

Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Brush each pear half with the remaining red-wine syrup and serve it with a dollop of mascarpone.